Can-opener.



PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

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57% arromvzn W. E. SMITH. CAN OPENER. APPLIOA'TIOH FILED JULY 5. 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented; April 18, 1905.

IVILLIAM H. SMITH, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,478, dated April 18, 1905.

' Application filed July 5, 1904. Serial No. 215,231.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers; and I do line a a in Fig. 1.

declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in can-openers; and the main object of the invention is to provide a can-opener that may be aifixed to a table or other woodwork in a room and which will quickly open cans of various sizes and shapes without risk of cutting the hands either on the cutter or on the can. This and other objects I attain by the novel construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my complete can-opener shown as secured upon the edge of a table. Fig. 2 is a top view of the canopener. Fig. 3 is a sectional top view on the Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line b b in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an inside view of one of the jaws holding the can while itis being opened. Fig. 6 is either the side or top of a can of the square or oblong types, showing how such a can may be opened by my device, although it is best adapted for opening cans of the cylindrical form.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 designates the frame of the device, which may be secured to a door-casing or other part of a wall by screws passed through the holes 2 in the lugs or lips 3, which holds the rear vertical frame-bar 4 some distance from the wall 3 for a purpose presently to be seen; but to accommodate those who prefer to secure the device upon the edge of a table while using it and remove and put it away after it is used I also provide the lower end of the frame with a screw-clamp 5, which may readily be secured over the edge of a table, as shown in Fig. 1, where 6 represents the table.

Upon the lower horizontal arm 7 of the frame are pivoted at 7 upon the lugs or ears 8 two semicircular jaws 9, having variouslysized recesses 10 10* (see Fig. 5) for holding cans of various sizes while they are being opened. Nearer thefront end of the arm 7 is pivoted at 12 a lever 13, having two pegs or projections 14:, engaging the diagonal slots 15 in the bottom of the jaws, so that the jaws will open When the lever is swung in one direction and close when swung in the other direction.

Upon the rear frame-bar or standard 4 is held by the thumb-screw 16 and nut 17, sliding in a slot 18 in the standard, an upper horizontal frame-arm 19, which is thus made adjustable up and down on the standard 1. Near the front end of the arm 19 is fixed a pivot 20, upon the ends of which is loosely pivoted the operating-lever 21, which has slotted holes 22 upon said pivot, so that the can-opening blade 23, secured to the lever, may be lowered into contact with the can and raised again by means of the lever 21. Said blade 23 is held in a vertically-adjustable manner by being inserted in a slot 24 in a clamping-post 25, whose end is flattened, inserted through a slot 26 in the lever, and upon its end is provided a thumb-nut 27 by which the knife or blade 23 may thus be adjusted upon the lever 21 for cans of small and large diameter, and as for slight variations in the height of the cans the blade may be adjusted vertically in the post. 28 represents notches in the blade engaging the lug 29 in the posttopreventslidingof the blade whileitcuts. All greater vertical adjustment is made by raising or lowering of the upper frame bar or section by means of the thumb-screw 16. 19 represents lugs to guide the upper frame-section on the standard 4.

The operation is obvious. Round cans are placed as indicated in dotted lines 30 in Fig. 1, the jaws are closed against opposite sides of the lower part of the can by the lever 13, and while thus held with one hand the other hand of the operator grasps the lever 21, presses the point of the blade 23 into the top of the can, and swings the lever around from one side to the other as far as the upper framearm 19 will permit. This cuts the top of the can loose except at the small point covered by the frame-arm 19, and if it be desired to out even that margin then the can need simply be turned a trifle around, so as to reach the margin with the blade; but such margin is usually left to remain as a hinge for the lid-like portion cut out in the top.

fln Fig. 6 is shown how an elongated or any shape of angular can may be opened in my device by cutting on the three curved lines 32 33 34:, and, if so desired, the piece may be removed by cutting also on the line 35.

I am aware that various modifications may be made in this device without diverging from the scope and spirit of the invention. 1 therefore do not wish nor mean to confine the invention to the exact construction by which I have illustrated the principle of the same; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A can-opener comprising a frame adapted to be fixed to a table or wall, a pair of jaws pivoted thereto and a pivoted lever closing said jaws so as to hold a can between them, an operating-lever pivoted to the frame and a can-opening blade secured to the lever, said frame being extensible so as to bring the blade higher or lower according to the height of the can, said blade being adjustable along the operating-lever so as to open cans of various diameters, and said operating-lever having a vertically-swinging motion on its pivot.

2. A can-opener com prisingafra ne adapted to be fixed to a table or wall, a pair of jaws pivoted thereto and a pivoted lever closing said jaws so as to hold a can between them, an operating-lever pivoted to the frame and a can-opening blade secured to said lever, said operating-lever having elongated holes at the pivot so that it may be swung with the cutting-blade to and from the can.

3. A can-opener comprisinga frame adapted to be fixed to a table or wall, a pair of jaws pivoted thereto, a pivoted lever closing said jaws so as to hold a can between them, and an operating-lever pivoted to the frame and a can-opening blade secured to said lever, said operating-lever having a longitudinal slot, a slotted bolt or post extending horizontally through said slot, a thumb-nut at the end of the bolt at one side the lever and a can-opening vertically-adjustable blade in the slot of the bolt at the other side of the lever.

4. A can-opener com prising a "frame adapted to be fixed to a table or wall, a pair of jaws pivoted thereto, a pivoted lever closing said jaws so as to hold a can between them, an operating-lever pi\ oted to the frame, said operating-lever having a longitudinal slot, a slotted bolt or post extending through said slot, athumb-nut at the end of the bolt at one side of the lever and a can-opening blade in the slot of the bolt at the other side of the lever, said blade having a series of notches and said bolt having a tooth projecting into its slot to engage the notches, to hold the blade firmly in variously-extended positions.

5. A can-opener comprising a vertically-extensible frame having a screw-clamp by which to secure it upon a table or similar object, and an upper and a lower horizontal arm, a pair of can-holding jaws pivoted upon the lower arm and having diagonal slots, a lever pivoted upon said arm and having pins engaging in the slots so as to spread and close the jaws, an operating-lever pivoted to the upper framearm and a can-opening blade secured to said lever, said frame being adjustable as to its height, and said blade being adjustable horizontally and vertically on the lever, and the latter having both horizontal and vertical swinging motion on its pivot, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

A. M. CARLsnN, D. E. QARLSEN.

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